A Fairy's Shadow
by Era-of-the-Skye
Summary: Skyelynn Rivergold is a dragon slayer, struggling with the secrets she keeps from her new guild mates. That and her misguided past and the chaos of Fairy Tail, join her journey as she learns what it means to be a member of Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail and characters (c) Hiro Takes place after the Tenrue Island Arc T for mild language and violence
1. New Beginnings

**Authors Note: I am going to try my best to improve my characters through character growth as well as keep them balanced. YES she is a dragon slayer YES thats super stereotypical but I seek to make my character stand out, please give me a chance. Thanks for reading, I will update as soon as possible XD**

 **personal goals through this piece: promote character development, improve writing**

 **Enjoy! Constructive criticism always welcome! Please keep negative comments to yourselves thank you.**

Skyelynn Rivergold looked up upon the stars, their soft light had never ceased to comfort her. Around the black haired girl lay her sleeping guild mates, Meredy, Jellal, and Ultear. The remains of the fire lay in the middle, glowing softly. The women sighed, breath forming tiny clouds in the cold night air. She pulled her cloak tighter and looked at her companions. The weight of the decision she was about to make hung in the air. These people had shown her kindness, and they too had once sinned. Indeed, they were her family, the only ones she was sure would except her. She recalled the night she had followed Meredy and Ultear, watched as the broke Jellal out of prison and confronted them, curiosity getting the better of the then 16 year old. They had not scolded the girl, instead the younger of the two had invited her. Skyelynn had remembered her from the years in Grimoire Heart, and had been glad the other girl had two been turned by the hearts of fairies.

Unlike Meredy, who had changed with Ultear and was free, the former underling of the dark guild was bound by a promise. She had promised Levy McGarden of the Fairy Tail guild that she would join them. When Tenrue Island had been destroyed, so they thought, she had followed her former guild mates and been invited to their newly formed guild, Crime Sorceire. She remembered excepting, glad to have friends she could count on. Now, seven years later, the island had reappeared, along with the missing members of Fairy Tail, and word had it they hadn't aged a day. Faced with the choice, the mage was unsure what to do, stay with those who treated her like family, whom she loved like family, or honor her promise to the blue haired fairy, running the risk of being shunned.

All these memories swirled in her head, clouding her thoughts. She as tired, and shivering, it wasn't truly the time to be thinking about where she would go. Pulling her blankets over her, Skyelynn laid back down, slowly drifting back to sleep.

The sun shone high over head when the girl awoke, her pink haired companion shaking her gently. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, the women sat up, black hair falling untidily about her shoulders. Ultear was cooking while Jellal was nowhere in sight. The smell of herbs wafted from the pot over the fire, the savory smell making the youngest mage's mouth water.

"Morning Meredy, Ultear. Whats for breakfast?" inquired the disheveled women as she stood, shaking out her hair, fumbling around for a brush.

"Lunch," the red eyed mage corrected, "is soup. Meredy found some vegetables and bought meat in the village."

"Always hungry Skye!" Meredy laughed, offering the other a hand up. Skyelynn chuckled, accepting the help, pulling herself to her feet. She grabbed the navy blue cloak off her pile of blankets, throwing it about her bare shoulders. The youngest fashioned it, then straitened out her black sleeveless shirt.

"I'm a dragon, what did you expect?" the teal eyed women replied teasingly, pulling on black leather boots.

"Dragon _slayer_ , doesn't mean you have the appetite of one."

"Details, details." she responded, waving her hand dismissively. "Wheres the brush?"

"The log by Jellal's stuff."

"Thanks." She said, locating the wooden object and setting to work on her tangled mat of hair. "Whats today's project?" Lynn asked, smoothing her black hair into submission, noticing how long she had let it grow, in comparison to the chin length cut she had formally maintained. Finding the purple chunk with her fingers, she swiftly braided it and returned the brush to where she'd found it.

"I think Tiger Skull or Dark Storm. We will decide when Jellal returns." reported Ultear, removing the pot from the fire. "By the way, you were suppose to cook lunch." The raven haired mage smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, I'll cook dinner then." Skelynn promised. A rustle from the bushes caught their attention as Jellal emerged, notably without food.

"If we have dinner that is. Dark guilds are rather rude when it comes to minding our agendas." the blue haired mage commented, earning a chuckle from the girl.

"If they were easily destroyed I believe we would be quite bored." Ultear pointed out, beginning to pour soup into crudely crafted bowls. The younger girls nodded in agreement, each taking a bowl, Meredy handing one to the man next to her. The dragon slayer took a sip of the hot contents, licking her lips and savoring the flavor. How the red eyed women managed to cook such good meals with so little, she would never know. The flavors of sage and parsley bathed her tongue as she finished off the bowl, peeking into the pot in hopes of more.

"Skye! Ultear hasn't even finished hers yet! Slow down, did you even taste it?" Meredy exclaimed. Her friend sent her a broad grin.

"I cant help it! Its so good!" she laughed. Setting down her bowl. "So, who shall fall to Crime Sorceire today? Personally I would like to show those tigers some real fangs!" the dragon slayer cheered, showing off her unusually sharp and pointed canines.

"Objections?" Jellal inquired, looking between the other two, when no one spoke up, he nodded. "The Tiger Skull it is." The 22 year old threw up a fist.

"Lets do this!" she cheered, jumping to her feet enthusiastically. "I'll go find Mina." with that, she was off, in search of her friend Minacet, an exceed. She thought back fondly at the day when the cream colored cat had convinced her to change with her idol, the same pink haired Meredy whom Skye now called a sister. She pushed aside the thoughts of her time with Eramist, of siblings.

"MINA!" she yelled, leaping over a log as she crashed recklessly through the trees. Suddenly she was hoisted into the air, soaring high, until she was above the trees. The dragon did not need to look up to see it was a certain exceed who carried her. The cat's scent was more than enough, in fact Skyelynn hadn't really needed to call for her, only use her sharp nose.

"Gosh girl! Hollering like that will draw too much attention, you should know that."

"Hello to you too Mina." the human laughed in reply, voice dripping with sarcasm. She heard her friend emit an amused snort from above. "Say, care to take us back to camp?"

-time skip 8 hours-

Skyelynn sniffed the pot before her, wrinkling her nose against the smell, sensitive nose offended by the odor of the food. She certainly wasn't cut out for cooking. Hesitantly she spooned it into bowls for each of her companions. Handing them each a bowl she sighed, bad cooking only dampening her spirits more. The usually peppy and upbeat mage was looking forlornly down at the greenish liquid in her bowl. The weight of what she was about to tell the group, her _family_ , weighed heavily on her shoulders.

"You alright over there?" a voice asked from behind her, it wasn't usual that people were able to sneak up on the teal eyed woman. She looked up to see Meredy looking at her, rather concerned. Skyelynn only shrugged and walked over, handing them each a bowl.

"We did good today, and I wish we could enjoy a good meal, but I am sure you will be glad not to taste my cooking." she began, trying to joke. She was only met with confusion. "Back on Tenrue Island I made a promise I would join Fairy Tail, now that the mage I made this promise to has returned, I do intend to be true to my word. Thank you for giving me a home, a family, and most importantly, showing me the light in the world." by now there where tears in her eyes, and she met the gaze of each of her friends. It wasn't usual the girl was so sentimental, but she had decided that it was warranted for this announcement.

"Its alright, you told us you planned on leaving when they returned." Meredy soothed, standing and hugging her, the other girl returned the embrace.

"I plan to head out tonight if I want to get there by tomorrow." She told them. Jellal dipped his head, and the two older wizards stood, earning the curious look of Skyelynn. The other girl let her go, and joined the others in front of her. Next to the woman stood her faithful friend Mina.

"We have been honored to fight along side you, to share in our common quest." Ultear began, and Meredy picked it up.

"Even your cooking, still, we wish you luck on your future journeys."

"Travel well, and stay safe." Jellal finished, and Skyelynn pulled them all into an embrace, before letting go tearfully. Wiping the liquid away, she smiled.

"Dont die on me, dont lose hope and certainly dont give up." With that, she threw her cloak about her, watching as her guild mark melted away. As soon as it was gone, she lept, and Mina caught her, carrying her high into the dark, headed to Magnolia.


	2. Fairy Tail

**Autors note: sorry this took so long! been kinda procrastinating, I wasn't sure how i wanted to do this part, sorry its so short! I will try and post weekly though.**

Skyelynn had her hood up when she arrived at the guild, and stood outside it for a minute, gathering herself. Minacet stood beside her, a serious look plastered across her face. In a sweep of her arms, she threw open the large doors to the hall, heads turned to look at her. She recognized some from Tenrue island. Erza, scary as she remembered, had draw her sword. Natsu, who she was surprised hadn't thrown himself at her in a firey rage, had stood from his spot at the counter next to a shocked Lucy. Gajeel stepped in front of Levy. That almost made her smile. The blue haired book worm looked out from behind the iron dragon slayer. She looked hopeful. That was all the newcomer needed to throw of her hood, at which point the short mage rushed over.

"Skye!" she called. The taller women looked down, noticing people around the guild relax a little. Having decided to stay on guard, she ignored Levy, much to the girl's confusion.

"I wish to join your guild. Where can I find your master?" she requested, border lining a command.

"What makes you think you can just barge in here! We ain't open to visitors!" the fire dragon yelled, fist igniting. She forced down the urge to scoff at the flames, doubtfully able to harm her, then again this was Salamander. The blonde haired girl next to him had her hand resting on the key ring at her hip, ready to spring into action.

"Hold on Natsu!" she told him, he of course ignored her. The tension in the room was only increasing before the short mage stepped forward.

"Mira, wheres Master Makrov? I invited Skye to join the guild before Acnologia attacked." She stated firmly. She may be small but no one questioned her. Before the white haired woman had a chance to respond, a shadow stretched across the hall.

"Who seeks me?" inquired an old voice, as a small man in unusual apparel stepped into the guild. Mirajane grinned.

"Master! Skye here wishes to join." she smiled, as if nothing was weird about the situation. He nodded, and the aforementioned girl growled.

"Its Skyelynn." she grumbled.

"Well what are we waiting for! LETS PARTY!" he roared, throwing up his hands. The proclamation was received with silence at first, but sure enough people were passing around the alcohol and laughing. Many cast the newcomer, still cloaked, suspicious glances. Skyelynn sought out the bluenette mage, the only one who she felt she could trust. She pushed her way through the crowd, searching for the woman. Finally she spotted her, hovering near a certain iron dragon slayer while two others flanked her, one thin the other fat.

"Levy!" Lynn called, causing the two men beside her to turn. At her companions movement, the mage she sought turned an beamed. The two men gave her threatening glances as soon as they were sure their friend wouldn't see.

"There you are!"

"Can we talk somewhere, er, quiet? Does this place get quiet?" the wizard was uncomfortable in the crowed, noisy guild hall.

"Lets go to the library." the bookworm suggested, pausing to chuckle at the comment before grabbing her arm and dragging the shadow dragon through the crowd. And down a flight of stairs. Eventually they were in a cozy library full of shelves and books. A table was in a far corner, one chair stacked with books. Letting go, Levy continued to the back of the softly lit room, giving the taller girl a chance to shed her cloak, revealing the dark purple shirt and armor beneath. She smiled for the first time since leaving Crime Sorciere, finally feeling comfortable and letting her guard down.

"Its so good to see you Levy!" she exploded, startling the other woman, who quickly registered the sentence and grinned. At that moment she realized just how much shed grown. She had been shorter then the fairy last time they had meant, now she towered above the other.

"You too Skye! Though its really only been a few days to me since I last saw you." she added at the, removing the books from the chair and inviting her to sit. "Your certainly taller! How is Minacet?"

"She is well, and indeed, I am. Stronger too." she demonstrated by becoming a shadow, moving around the rooms surfaces with ease. "Thats the only new, nondestructive spell I have learned." she laughed, at ease as she returned to her usual form. She sat down on the chair, removing the disheveled pile of books from the small surface so she could see her friend.

"Awesome! So what was with you back there?" Levy asked, though technically they had only know each other for about 30 minutes, she was eerily good at reading Skye, a fact rather unsettling to the dragon.

"Guarded'" she replied simply. "I know you trust them, but it takes longer for me. I will open up eventually"

"Your not the only one who has made, er, questionable, choices in the past. Gajeel attack Shadow Gear once. He stapled us to a tree after beating us up."she told her uncomfortable guildmate, shuddering slightly at the memory, one she preferred to bury. Skye looked a slight bit confused.

"But I thought you liked him?" the dark haired dragon questioned, giving Levy a sidelong glance. Her companion turned a slight shade of pink, causing the other to smirk. She hadn't meant it like that but if that's how her friend chose to take, she didn't care to question.

"Well- yes, er, no not like that!" the mage replied, flustered, earning a chuckle from the armored girl. "What I mean is I have forgiven him. Hes changed. You've changed. Don't worry they will accept you in time." she assured the older woman, easing some of the clinging doubts. "Oh! You dont have a guild mark!" she commented suddenly. The dragon realized she was right. The master had forgotten, being so caught up on partying.

"Must we go back?" she groaned, dreading the crowd and noise, the latter of which irritated her dragon ears.


	3. Home Shadows

p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Author Note: Sorry it took so long, been busy with other stuff. Its also a short one I had a hard time writing to be honest./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Skyelynn drew a key from her pocket as she arrived at 10 Hibiscus Ave. Magnolia. A few hours earlier she had rented a small apartment temporarily, until she could afford a house. Inserting the key into its slot, she turned, hearing the faint click. The black haired girl pushed open the door, a musty smell greeted her, and so did a cloud of dust she had stirred. No wonder it had been so cheap. She covered her nose and mouth with her cloak to help keep from inhaling the dust. Flipping on the light, she illuminated the space and found it was roomy enough, and she liked the size./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"The mage ventured forward, unsure what would await her. Farther inside she caught glimpse of the bedroom. Inside was a wooden framed bed, the room was sunny and not as dusty as the rest of the house. Lynn dropped her bag unceremoniously onto the floor, dropping into the bed. She was surprised she hadn't broke the frail looking structure. Inhaling deeply, the warrior closed her eyes. Her fingers rested on her right collarbone, tracing the guildmark that was now tattooed to her skin. In just a day, she had left her friends to plunge into unfamiliar territory, full of strangers who distrusted her, and pledged alliance to them. Why? To keep a promise, a promise to one teen mage who for whatever reason had taken a liking to her. I was different when we met. I was 15, cheerful, open, severely misguided, a power house for my age who had been pulled into the wrong crowd. Impressionable, almost. Indeed, it had been 7 years, and she had changed, learned that there was more than magic and a dragon father. More than her simple life that had led to destruction, lead by one those she now regarded as family, rather than a commander or chief. One thing hadn't changed, ever. She would never dishonor her word. Which scared her,to a degree, Levy insisted they could be trusted, but that wasnt enough for the skittish dragon. The dragon who hid behind a shell of shadows and frost./p  
p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"Skyelynn Rivergold let out a long sigh. She was certainly in for a long week, or two. This adjustment would be far from easy for such a reserved creature as herself. Exhausted from her travels, and ready for sleep, the girl closed her eyes and drifted to sleep./p 


	4. Lose Ends

Skyelynn sat at the bar, it was relatively early, and only a few of her new Guild mates were at the hall. Mirajane had only just arrived, and was working on making the shadow dragon her breakfast. A quiet conversation or two could be heard, but that was just about it.

"Are you going to go train with the others?" the barmaid asked, setting a plate before the silent woman.

"First I've heard. I will probably find Mina and train alone. Joining the games this year I presume?" Lynn inquired, it was first she had heard of training, but she wasn't quite ready to share her power. After all, only her exceed partner knew her true power. "Aren't you training too?"

"Of course! I am heading out with my sister and brother around noon. Want to join us?"

"I think I'll pass, there is some business I must attend to." her fingers briefly brushed over her right fore arm. Across the skin that had once borne the Crime Sorciere guild mark. Yes, this couldn't wait., no more damage could be done. "I apologize leaving so soon after joining. I will be back. The past waits for none." she finished mysteriously closing the subject. A small, aching part of her anted someone to ask, for someone to care, for anyone who would listen. At the same time, she didnt want them to know. An image of a great dragon flashed in her memory, his features noble, and those who knew him could identify a smile in the dragon's expression. A bowl appeared before the women, who looked up to meet a kind gaze.

"We will egarly await your return, do try and be back by the games, who knows what Master has planned." she finished with a chuckle. So far as the dragon slayer could tell, the guild members were fond of the old man and his curious ways. Skyelynn smiled.

"Thanks." Perhaps making friends wouldn't be so hard after all. Right as she was starting to get comfortable, a large man with an odd scar over an eye and short blonde hair sat heavily next her. He didn't face her but wore a serious expression.

"Dont go thinking we'll all accept you right off the bat. Mira, you ought to be more careful. Remember Mest?" the man growled, tone daring her to mess with him. The barmaid gave him a displeased expression.

"Be polite Laxus." She replied. The black haired girl ate in silence, though the man had very much disturbed the peace she had begun to sense, ever fo faintly though it had been. Left on edge, she slapped down a few jewel next to her empty bowl and stood, spinning toward the door. Theatrics. They never failed to amuse her. In a mass of swirling fabric, she stalked out, hoping her faithful friend Minacet was nearby.

By the time she had reached a carriage stable and paid for transport, a particular flying cat landed beside her. The feline observed the scene in silence a moment.

"G'morning Mina." greeted the dragon pleasantly, wishing she had gotten something from the coffee shop she had passed. Teal eyes looked down to where the blonde-furred exceed stood. "Word on their whereabouts?" she asked, stepping onto the carriage while Minacet flew up to her seat.

"To business straight away? Very well then." replied the cat in a definitely feminine but a bit gravely. She smiled teasingly before continuing. "The guild is a mere mile from here. Shouldnt be a long ride. I already instructed the driver where to leave us." she finished. Skye gave her friend a confused look. "When you were staring into space." Laughed the cat. The mage nodded as the carriage started moving. Her face paled as her vision blurred. How she despised carriages. Feeling more than a little faint and nosious, the girl stuck her head out the window. Yep, short ride, so much for that.

What to the dragon slayer felt like hours later, she was stumbling gratefully out of a now-stationary carriage onto land. They were near a valley where the guild was rumored to be staying.

 **Nice longesh one for you all! Sorry for the slow updates, thisis a hard part to write**

"Mina, bring me over the camp, nice and high, and drop me." smirked the dragon mage, wrapping a uniquely tasseled cloak over her usual one. The feline flew her over, enhanced vision allowed the long haired passenger to spot the trio, sitting around a pile of ashes, the remains of a fire. They didn't look to hot. "Over the fire pit. It looks cool enough."

Skyelynn felt paws let go and grinned, plummeting, carefully judging the distance, cloaks swirling and flapping about her. Right before hitting ground, she became a shadow, halting before solidifying once more. Her heart was pounding from the drop, and she was laughing hysterically at the shocked faces around her.


End file.
